Brazo de Mercedes

Creme-filled Log Cake

Ingredients

Directions

In a saucepan, simmer milk over low heat until reduced to 2 cups. Add suger, butter and vanilla extract, stirring all the while. Remove from heat. Beat egg yolks in mixing bowl. To egg yolks, gradually add milk mixture by spoonfuls, beating all the while. Stir well to avoid curdling. Add cashew nuts and continue cooking entire mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has consistency of a paste. Set aside.

Ingredients

Meringue

10 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating continuously. Stir in vanilla. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper greased with butter and spread meringue on top. Bake until brown. Spreadfilling evenly on top of meringue and roll into a log. Brush with butter and brown again in overn.

Original Leche Flan Recipe

Ingredients

Custard:

12 egg yolks

1 can condensed milk

1 pint Vit D milk

1 tablespoon vanilla (lemon essence or peppermit can be substituted)

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour mixture into a loaf tin lined with caramelized sugar (see below). Cover with aluminum foil. Place tin in a larger baking pan half-filled with water. Place pan in pre-heated oven (375 F) and bake flan for about 1 hour or until it is firm.

Caramel

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Directions

Put sugar and water in a saucepan. Caramelize in high heat. Line loaf tin with caramelized sugar. Be sure to line the sides of the pan.

Kalabasa (Pumpkin) Leche Flan

This recipe is from the province of Bulacan. Source for this recipe is the wonderful Philippine Food and Live by Gilda Cordero Fernando. Published by Anvil Publishing, Pasig, Metro Manila, 1992.

Ingredients

2 cups kalabasa (pumpkin), cut finely

1 cup condensed milk

3 eggs

sugar

1/2 teaspoon dayap (lime) or vanilla

Directions

Boil the squash. Mash until smooth. Add eggs, mil, rind or vanilla. Strain. Sprinkle sugar on the leche flan mold (llanera), and put the mold on the fire until sugar browns. Place the squash mixture into the llanera, and steam for about 20 minutes.

Chef's note: Gratin or souffle dish may be aluminum or ceramic. Bain- marie is the term used for cooking through steam in a water bath. The dish is placed in a larger pan half-filled with water and placed into a preheated oven or a steamer

Directions

Place the coconut mil in a casserole and bring to a boil, then add the sago, sweet potato, taro and other root crops you may have. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the banana, jackfruit and rice balls. Continue to cook over moderate heat until all the rice balls float to the surface.

Stir in sugar and coconut crea, then transfer to a serving bowl. Recipe modified from Glenda Rosales-Barretto's Flavors of the Philippines

Ingredients

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour into muffin pans, until halfway full. Steam in a large pan with a cover; the water should be 2 inches deep. Cook for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Add more water if needed until cooking is done.

Remove from the muffin pans and serve with freshly grated coconut. Serves 4.

Puto (Rice Muffins)

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon anise seeds (optional)

1 cup grated coconut (or coconut flakes)

Directions

Sift first four ingredients together. In a mixing bowl, add coconut milk to sifted ingredients and blend well to make a smooth mixture. Add anise seeds. Mix and blend thoroughly and fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Cook in a steamer for 30 minutes. Test for doneness. Muffins are done when toothpick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Serve hot topped with grated coconut, or butter.

Recipe from Reynaldo Alejandro's excellent The Philippine Cookbook

Gulaman at Sago

(Gelatin and Tapioca Pearls)

This recipe came from The Philippine Cookbook by Virginia Roces de Guzman and Nina Daza Puyat available at Made in the Philippines.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

1 bar white gulaman (or 1 pack Jello) soaked in water and drained

2 cups cooked sago (tapioca pearls)

Directions

1. Caramelize sugar and when golden brown add water and bring to a boil. Put in the softened gulaman (or Jello) and stir till completely melted. Strain into a baking pan. Cool and cut into cubes.

2. For the sago, make a syrup following the procedure for gulaman. Continue cooking the caramelized sugar and water until syrupy. Pour boiling water over the sago, drain and combine with the syrup. Serve with cubed gulaman with crushed ice.

Champorado

(Chocolate Rice Pudding)

From the cookbook called "Favorite Filipino Dishes" by J.F Silverio.

Ingredients

1 cup glutinous (sweet/sticky) rice

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup (more or less to taste) unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup (more or less to taste) sugar

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

some sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Cook rice in a medium-sized saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water. Stir constantly. When rice is ready (rice should be somewhat transparent), add cocoa, sugar and vanilla. Serve in bowls with swirls of sweet condensed milk on top.

Serves 4 people

Turon

Ingredients

ripe bananas, peeled and cut into half, lengthwise

brown sugar

3 cups cooking oil

lumpia wrappers

1/2 cup langka preserves (optional)

Directions

Roll banana in sugar. Wrap banana (and langka if you have) in lumpia wrapper just like you would a lumpia. Fry in hot oil until golden and crispy. Recipe from Manong Ken

Ube Halaya

Ingredients

Directions

Boil yam until tender and cut into cubes, then grind in a food processor with sugar and coconut milk (if you have the powdered variety, mix ingredients). Transfer to a sauce pan, add the condensed milk (if starting from fresh) and cook over a low fire, stirring continuously. Continue stirring until the mixture turns into a thick paste and separates from the pan. Transfer to a shallow platter or pan and allow to cool. Serve.

Palitaw

Ingredients

Sweet rice flour - about a cup.

3/4 cup water

coconut flakes

Lots of white sugar

Toasted linga (sesame seeds).

Directions

Mix rice flour with water to make dough. Make little balls then flatten. Boil water in a saucepan. Drop flattened dough balls into boiling water. The cakes are cooked when they float. Remove from water, let cool a little bit, roll in combined sugar and toasted sesame seeds and coconut flakes.

Peanut Squares

Ingredients

1 cup of shelled roasted peanuts

1/2 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup of sugar for the pastry board

Equipment needed:You will need meat grinder, a saucepan, a spatula, a rolling pin, a knife and, a cooking spoon.

Directions

1) Put the peanuts through a meat grinder with a medium blade. Then place them in a saucepan with the 1/2 cup of sugar and the milk. Mix well.

2) Place the peanut mixture over medium flame and cook, stir constantly, until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves.

3) Lower the flame and cook, stir often, until the mixture thickens. As the mixture gets very thick, stir continually, to prevent sticking. This will take around 15 minutes.

4) When the mixture is so thick that you can see the bottom of the pan when you stir, remove from stove.

5) Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of sugar on the pastry board. Turn the peanut mixture out onto the sugar and flatten it out with a spatula.

6) Allow it to cool so you can handle it.

7) Next roll it out with a rolling pin until the mixture is about 1/4 inch thick. With a knife, cut the mixture into small squares or with a cookie cutter.

8) Remove the cookies from the pastry board with a spatula.

This recipe makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen.

Pich Pichi

Ingredients

2 cups grated cassava (see note)

2 cups sugar

2 cups pandan water (see note)

Grated coconut, for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except the coconut. Pour into 2 9-inch round pans. Steam for 45 minutes or until set. Cool. Form into balls, then roll in grated coconut.

Note: Cassava is a root vegetable, also called manioc and yuca, available in Asian and Latin markets. It is the base ingredient in tapioca. Pandan is related to lauhala, classified as a pandanus plant, and is widely available in Asian markets. It is sometimes called fragrant screwpine. The leaves are used throughout Asia as a flavoring. To make pandan water, boil the leaves from 4 pandan stalks in 2 cups of water until fragrant. Cool.From:"The Filipino Cookbook: The Maya Kitchen" (Anvil Publishing Inc., Philippines, 1994)

Cassava Cake

This is a classic Filipino dessert enjoyed year round. Most of the ingredients can be found in an oriental store near you. I have found the most difficult ingredient to find is usually the coconut cream. If you can't find it don't worry. Simply use another can of coconut milk in it's place. Also it is easier to just buy the cassava already grated. It should be in the freezer section. You could cut the recipe in half but then you are left with 1/2 a can of everything. Or try making one thick cake. You'll have to cook much longer though. Careful, I'm not sure if it will all fit in one pan. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

Cake

2 Lbs Grated Cassava

1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)

1 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk

1 14 oz. Can Coconut Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)

1 13 oz. Can Coconut Cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)

2/3 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs plus 3 Egg Whites

1 Cup Grated Coconut

Topping

3 Egg Yokes

1/3 Cup Reserved Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Milk

1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° f. In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients. Mix well. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans. Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes). Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely. Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.

Put cooked rice into a large bowl. Reserving 1/2 cup of coconut mixture, stir remainder and remaining brown sugar evenly into hot rice. Put into prepared pan. Top with reserved 1/2 cup of coconut milk mixture. Bake for 20 minutes then broil for 5 minutes to set topping. Cut into small pieces. Makes 45 servings.

Avocado Milkshakes

This sounds really weird, I know, but it's actually quite good. You'll see avocado ice cream in Asian supermarkets that carry foods and ingredients from the Philippines, and this is close to that. Give it a try, you might be surprised. Thanks to Nathan Chua for the recipe.

1 avocado

1/3 quart whole milk

3 tablespoons sugar

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions

Blend. Drink.

Pianono

Yield: 1 Servings

Ingredients

6 Egg whites

6 tb Sugar

6 Egg yolks

6 tb Sifted flour

Directions

To 6 egg whites beaten until stiff, add the following by spoonfuls, beating well after each addition 6 tablespoons sugar, then add 6 yolks of eggs (well beaten). Blend well. Cut and fold into the mixture: 6 tablespoons sifted flour Pour into a jelly roll pan lined with greased paper. Bake for 15 minutes at 400F. Turn out on another sheet of paper sprinkled with sugar. Remove paper lining. Spread jam frosting over cake and roll. Dust surface with sugar. Slice crosswise.

Cascaron - bitsu-bitsu

Yield: 1 Recipe

Ingredients

1 pk Mochi flour

1 Coconut; grated, place -coconut in a large bowl

1 1/2 c Hot water; pour into bowl -of coconut

1/3 Box of dark brown sugar

1/4 c Cold water

Directions

Squeeze grated coconut in water than strain coconut water in clean dish towel over another bowl. Squeeze until all liquid has been extracted. (Instead of fresh coconut, you may use 1/2 can of grated coconut and 1 1/2 cups of water.) Place canned coconut in flour and add water until dough is soft but not too sticky. Do the same with fresh coconut. Shape dough in balls of 1 inch diameter and fry in deep fat until golden brown. Drain dough balls on paper towel. Then put them in a large mixing bowl. When all have been fried, boil water and brown sugar in a small sauce pan until it reaches the soft boil stage. This is done by placing a drop of syrup in a bowl of cold water. If it retains it shape and is soft, it is ready. Pour over dough balls. Mix well so that all are coated with syrup. Remove from bowl and place them in a platter to cool. Excellent with coffee or tea.

Steamed Palm Sugar Custard

Ingredients

3 cups milk

1/3 cup grated dark palm sugar

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2 eggs

Directions

1. Place milk, sugar, star anise and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes.2. Strain mixture and place in a bowl. 3. Beat eggs lightly and whisk into milk mixture.4. Pour mixture into 6-8 CHINESE tea cups and place tea cups in a steamer.5. Place steamer over rapidly simmering water for 20 minutes or until custards are just set.6. NOTE: Try not to open the lid of the steamer before 18 minutes.7. Affects the texture of the custard.8. Steam would be lost once the lid is opened before they are ready.

Tocino Del Cielo

Ingredients

25 egg yolks

4 cups sugar

3 cups water

Directions

1. Boil sugar and water until syrup forms small ball when dropped in water.2. Beat egg yolks, add the syrup after cooling it then blend well and strain.3. Line a pan or small molds with thick caramel syrup.4. Fill ¾ full with mixture and steam until toothpick inserted comes out clean.5. Allow to cool before unmolding.6. NOTE: Tocino Del Cielo is often baked in small individual molds and placed in small soufflé cups for serving

Ambrosia Salad

Ingredients

2 lacatan bananas, sliced into rounds

1 orange or naranjita, pared and separated into segments (remove membrane and seeds)

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

1 cup watermelon balls

1 cup cantaloupe balls

1/2 cup diced ripe mango

1/2 cup avocado cubes

1 cup shredded fresh macapuno

1-1/2 cups preserved kaong (sugar palm)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cashew nuts or peanuts

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 can condensed milk or fresh cream

1/4 cup flaked coconut

Directions

Combine the fruits, the preserves, and the nuts in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Pour in the condensed milk or the cream. Toss lightly and add the flaked coconut. Chill.

Steamed Ube Cake

from "Filipino Cuisine," by Gerry G. Gelle, Red Crane Books, 1997

Ingredients

2 cups purple yam, washed, peeled and cubed

2 cups sweet rice flour

1-1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1-1/4 cup coconut milk

4 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 cup grated coconut

Directions

Cover yams with water and boil until tender or soft. Drain and put through a ricer. Mash until smooth.

Mix flour and water in a bowl to form a thick batter. Add sugar and mashed yams. Blend well. Strain to remove lumps. Add coconut milk and the baking powder and mix well.

Pour mixture into greased muffin pans to 2/3 full and steam over boiling water about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, topped with coconut.

Directions

dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and 1 1/2 teaspoonful of white sugar. mix, then set aside until bubbly. mix everything together until well incorporated and smooth. transfer dough into a greased bowl, let rise for one hour, then form into a log, flatten out and fill with cheese and butter (optional), or just coil into a snail shape in a greased pan. if you are making individual cakes, divide the dough in equal pieces, roll into logs and coil or knot and place in greased muffin tins. let rise for another hour, then brush with butter and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 25 minutes or until lightly brown. cool completely, slather with butter, dust with sugar and top with grated cheese, if desired.

Yema Balls

Ingredients

3 egg yolks

180 g condensed milk

120 g mashed potato

1 tablespoon plain flour

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 tablespoon butter

1/8 teaspoon salt Sugar Glaze:

100 g sugar

60 ml water

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Combine all the ingredients and cook in a double boiler, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens - about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool (may be refrigerated for 30 minutes to 1 hour) and roll into 2.5 cm diameter balls. For the sugar glaze, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until syrup is lightly caramelized. Dip the Yema balls into the syrup and set aside to cool before wrapping in colored cellophane paper

Mango Chocolate Cream Cups

Ingredients

300 g bittersweet chocolate melted

6 med ripe mangoes peeled

2 tbsps lime juice

1 170 g-can Nestle Cream

1 tbsps unflavored gelatin dissolved in

1/4 cup gold water

mint leaves for garnish

Directions

Line muffin tins with corrugated paper cups. Spoon 1-1/2 tbsps melted chocolate around base and sides. Allow to set in refrigerator.

Bibingkang Galapong

Ingredients

4 eggs, well beaten

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted margarine

2 cups rice flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coco cream, 1/4 cup sugar for topping

Directions

Add sugar to beaten eggs.Combine salt and flour; add to egg mixture.Add melted margarine, coconut milk, and baking powder.Pour into banana leaf-lined mold.Bake in 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven.When half-done, take it out from the oven and brush top with coconut cream and sugar and bake until golden crust is formed.Yield: 3 large bibingkas.

Buko Pie

Ingredients

CRUST

2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup corn oil

1 tablespoon waterFILLING

3 1 /3 cup buko, young coconut

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup cheese, grated

Directions

To prepare the crust, combine flour and salt. Blend in oil thoroughly using a fork. Sprinkle with water. Continue "cutting" with a fork until flour mixture forms tiny lumps. Form flour mixture into a ball. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll out to make 2 crusts. Cover bottom of pie pan with one crust. Cut excess. Prick pastry all over with fork. Bake in preheated oven at 450°F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brownFILLING Combine all ingredients except cheese and cook over low heat. Continue stirring until thick. Pour mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Top filling with the second crust. Seal ends all around with a fork. Bake at 400 °F until crust turns golden brown. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake for additional 5 minutes. Serves 8http://asiarecipe.com/phidesserts.html